Candlelight
by Jmanjoker
Summary: A lone child sat on a cliff edge with clenched hands. An image of the girl was imprinted onto his mind, her golden locks, her deep blue eyes, all beset by a shroud of darkness and fury. Gradual Zeref x Mavis, takes place at the start of Fairy tail
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, here's just a new story I decided to start after hearing about Zeref and mavis :3 Please review, favourite and follow!

Disclaimer: Credit for fairy tail goes to hiro mashima

A lone child sat on a cliff edge with clenched hands. Tears fell as freely as the torrential rain down the jet-haired boy's face. "A-A-A-ACNOLOGIA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He screamed, eyes clamped shut. By now, dark tendrils had started to develop from his body. The moss on the rock, the lush green grass all turned a sickly brown before wrinkling to a deathly grey. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" The child bellowed as he created waves in the water.

His heels dug into the rock, cracks striking down the cliff face. He couldn't care less.

"A-A-Are you okay?" An extremely small girl said, her voice trembling and tears threatening to burst out. The lonesome child whipped his head round. Her hair was shimmering in the rain, her eyes sparkling, looking highly out of place compared to the ash clouds. She wore a white dress and had a small, red ribbon at the collar. "H-Hello?" The jet-haired by wiped his tears.

"Piss off" He grumpily mumbled. The small girl took a few more trembling steps, before running back, trailing tears and sobbing. A small red ribbon floated to the ground as she ran. The boy felt a pang of guilt amongst his anger, cutting through all the other things on his mind. An image of the girl was imprinted onto his mind, her golden locks, her deep blue eyes, all beset by a shroud of darkness and fury. He whipped his head round one more time, and scanned the trees for the girl. His eyes told him she wasn't there, but his nose told him otherwise. He quickly shut out the thought of her and his guilt, and resumed his sulking.

(5 years later)

The same child sat at the same spot, coincidentally on the same day. His hair had grown longer, but was kept in a gradual mohawk. He was much taller, and his chest much wider. He wore a black tunic with a white trim, and a dark blue sash. His eyes were drawn towards the ocean, seeking out any activity other than the lulling waves. He returned to this same spot every year, hoping his dragon master would come back. His sensitive ears picked up the sound of cheering, carried by the wind.

"Happy birthday to Mavisssssss, happy birthday to you!" A group of three teenagers sang, as a girl with golden hair and sapphire eyes grinned. She eagerly looked down at the cake, before puffing to put out the small candle. A young man with the build of a tree cut the cake, and handed Mavis a piece, before handing the other two teenagers a piece. The petite girl scoffed her cake, before a memory sprung up in her mind. She remembered crying next to a very young tree, just over there. She remembered the tree getting up and scolding her, saying it was a human and it's name was Walrod, Walrod Cken. She chuckled to herself, but the reason of why she was crying never struck her. She had an urge to turn towards the cliff edge, thinking the answer would be there. She did so, and found a black-haired boy at the cliff edge. Nostalgia ran through her heart as she stared at him, before she was interrupted.

"Oi Oi, Mavis' got her eye on someone!" A boy with an eye patch chuckled. Mavis punched him on the arm.

"Oh shut up Precht." Mavis countered. The unnamed young man smiled to himself.

"Sis, I bet you do." The blonde-haired man remarked. Mavis got up and threw her cake at her brother, before he retaliated by throwing his piece. Precht launched his cake at Mavis's brother, before Walrod flung his with full speed. The blonde man dodged the cake as it flew towards the teenager at the cliff edge, before rolling to a dignified stop next to him. The jet-haired teenager looked at the cake and took it. He sniffed it, before devouring it, his hunger to great for his mind to consider where it came from. Mavis stood wide-eyed, before taking the last piece of cake and placing it on a plate. Slowly, she got to her feet and walked towards the cliff edge. Butterflies filled her stomach as she approached the edge, and her hands were shaking. Her brother watched, arms crossed, as he watched her little sister walk towards the edge.

"That's a big thing for her you know, walking to any cliff, let alone _that_ cliff." He remarked, as the other two stared in silence. Mavis' was close to tears at this point, but was determined to make it to the edge. Finally, she reached the edge, before placing the cake next to the young man. He acknowledged the new food, but didn't immediately eat it. Instead, he turned around and saw a girl. He took in the sight, before his mind clicked.

"No, it can't be." His mind thought. He reflected back years ago to the same place. He shook off any doubt, before quietly mumbling "Thanks." The girl smiled, before she ran back to her friends.

"Why'd you give the cake?" Precht asked. Mavis shrugged, as she blushed madly. Walrod cackled, hands on his stomach.

"I don't even think Mavis understands what love is!" Walrod blurted. Mavis's eyes fixated onto Walrod.

"Read the number Walrod. Sixteen. SIXTEEN." She retaliated, before crossing her arms. The rest of the day passed without incident, before Mavis retired to her small cottage. A knock was heard at her door. She sauntered over, before swinging the door open. Her brother was at the door, holding a rather large box.

"Happy birthday, Mavis." He said smiling. Mavis flung her arms around him, before blurting her thanks and slamming the door. She rushed to her room and dived onto the bed, and ripped open her box. Inside was a dark blue version of her white dress, with a black trim. A bunch of jewels tumbled out as she took out her dress, before she took a hanger and gently placed her gift in her wardrobe. She quickly changed into a long sleeved shirt and pyjamas and flung herself into bed. Mavis took out her new book, kindly given by Precht, and read the first line before she was cut short. Another group of knocks were heard, and the birthday girl got up and trudged to her door. She swung open the walnut door with surprising speed. She was greeted by the same boy from the cliff, and an awkward silence followed.

"H-Happy birthday..." He mumbled as he held out a small, red bow. Mavis' eyes widened as she took the bow. She stared at it for a few seconds, before the boy spoke again. "A-And thanks for the cake..." Mavis looked up and smiled.

"You're welcome. I've been looking for this for ages! What's your name?" She asked. The young boy looked around as if she was talking to someone else, before his eyes met hers.

"Zeref, and yours birthday girl?" He replied.

"Mavis." She answered. The memory of her day five years ago ran through her mind. "Have I seen you there before?" She asked sweetly. Zeref looked at the ground, ashamed.

"Y-Yes." He murmured, the memory still fresh in his mind. "I'm really sorry about that, it's just that my mentor left and-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm a crybaby anyway." Mavis reassured. Zeref smiled and looked her over again. He noticed how small she was, and made him question her age.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Sixteen." Mavis replied. "I know, I know. I don't look it but trust me, I am! My parents can't be wrong about their princess's birthday now can they?"

"It's my birthday as well you know." He stated. Mavis smiled.

"How old are you?" She followed up quickly. Zeref grinned.

"Sixteen" He replied. Mavis laughed, before looking at him once again.

"Then what's your birthday wish?" She asked. Zeref thought hard, before making up his mind.

"To see my parent. Are they home?" He asked. Mavis shook her head. "Where are they anyway?" Zeref inquired. Mavis looked at the ground, pain prominent in her eyes.

"They're dead..." She stated. Tears sprung from the corners of her eyes, the small beads landing on her ribbon. Zeref stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. He was torn between hugging her and letting her be.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He explained. Mavis nodded, before looking at him once again.

"I don't have anything to give for your super sweet 16, but if you want, you can sleep on the sofa." She offered. Zeref thought hard, and compared her sofa to the cold, hard ground. He made up his mind.

"I'd love that actually. Thanks." Mavis was taken aback by this, as she never expected for Zeref to accept her proposal. She gestured him inside. Zeref strolled through, and took in her small house. How there were knitted decorations whenever possible, how the whole house was lit up with a warm light, how the air smelled of lavender and lemons.

Zeref sat down on the sofa and eyed Mavis. 'She hasn't grown much...' Mavis had retained her child like build, only growing marginally taller and losing her baby fat.

"Me and my brother always used to have homeless around for christmas." Mavis remarked, before covering her mouth and looking at the boy. "S-S-Sorry I didn't mean it like that!" Zeref kept his calm face, not understanding why she had made a fuss.

"It's ok." Zeref remarked. A quiet grumbling came from his stomach, before the blonde girl chuckled.

"Wan't something to eat?" She asked. Zeref perked up at 'eat' and eagerly nodded his head. The small girl disappeared into the kitchen as Zeref waited patiently in the living room. The smell of food wafted into the room, and this made Zeref even more hungry. A few painful minutes passed before Mavis carried a two bowls of what looked like noodles to the table. Zeref licked his lips as Mavis pulled out two chairs. He walked over and sat at the chair, Mavis following closely. She handed Zeref two chopsticks, before eating her bowl. The young man looked confused as he tried to handle the chopsticks in each hand. Mavis smiled and handed him a fork, which he easily used. Mavis watched as he stabbed at the noodles and watched them slip off, before Zeref resorted to tipping the bowl with noodles into his mouth. So far, she thought Zeref was a nice guy, but there was something off about him.

"Say, Zeref, do you practise magic?" She politely asked. He gulped and avoided her eye.

"Urm, yeah..." He mumbled. Mavis cocked her head.

"Well, what do you use?" Zeref's heart thudded in his chest.

"D-Dark magic..." Zeref looked at his bowl, before raising his head. He found Mavis smiling.

"That's really cool, I can only use a little light magic. Brother says it's cause I have a small body but magic comes from the heart and..." Zeref's thoughts drifted off as he stared at her face, her big blue eyes, her small nose, her golden hair. "Are you even listening?" She chuckled. Zeref blushed, before shaking his head. She smiled and looked off into the distance. "Well, should we sing happy birthday to each other?" Zeref cleared his throat, and awkwardly sang with Mavis, he voice clearly outshining his, their birthday songs. Eventually, Zeref took off his black tunic and laid on the sofa, opposite the fireplace. He drifted to sleep in no time, with the soft cushions easing him to sleep quicker than his old bed of damp straw. Mavis stood in her small kitchen, boiling herself water. She looked around, with her eyes landing on Zeref. He had a lean, muscular body, and watched his chest rise and fall. She yanked her head away, blushing madly.

"Come on Mavis, control." She poured the boiling water into her mug, and placed a small cage full of tea leaves in the water. She laid on the sofa opposite and returned to her new book, and drifted asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys, here's the new chapter! Please, review and follow and all that good stuff :)

Disclaimer: I don't own fairy tail, Hiro mashie does

Zeref woke to a light crackling. He rolled his head over to the kitchen and saw Mavis standing on a stool, cooking what looked like eggs. He found this a funny sight as he chuckled, before Mavis stared at him with venomous eyes. This scared him, but he walked over to the table. "An egg for you, and one for me!" She chirped. Zeref licked his lips in anticipation, as he loved eggs. Acnologia had taught him how to forage, and he would clean out a whole forest's eggs at a time. He scoffed his down, and watched Mavis as she ate. She took the smallest bites he had ever seen, and he thought this was adorable.

"You're like a big baby you know." He remarked. Mavis blushed, before smirking.

"I'm cuter than you." She replied as she stuck her tongue out. Zeref laughed as he looked out the window.

"Where's your guild again?" He asked. Mavis finished chewing her last mouthful before replying.

"Come on, I'll show you." She said as she got up. Mavis sped into her room, and quickly changed into her white dress. Zeref put on his tunic, and followed the blonde. Mavis showed Zeref around Magnolia first, where all the good pubs were, where she would eat her lunch, the best magic stores. By midday, they had arrived at a big building by the river. She led him inside and he saw two well-built men sitting at a table, one who looked like a tree, and one who had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as Mavis. "Guys, this is Zeref! He's gonna join our guild!" This surprised Zeref. The blonde-haired man stood up and walked over to Zeref.

"My name's Sabuto, Vermillion. I'm her brother." He stated as he shook Zeref's hand. Sabuto eyed Zeref, before letting go. The other guild member got up and outstretched his hand.

"My names Walrod Cken. Shiken, not chicken." He remarked as Zeref shook his hand. A cold chill ran up his arm as his hand touched Zeref's.

"We're going on a job today, we're just waiting for Precht." Mavis chirped as she plopped on a sofa. Zeref took in the sight of the guild. It's stone floor, the wooden pillars, the marble tabletops. Walrod eyed Zeref, leaning on his guild. He studied his body language, and soon assessed his magic composition. Zeref was made up of a lot of dark magic, but he never exhibited this on the outside. He looked quite content on the outside, talking to Mavis.

"Sorry i'm late!" Precht hollered as he strolled into the guild. "Slept in." Mavis turned her head towards Precht and stared him down. Precht gulped.

"Do we need another chat about punctuality?" Mavis threatened. Precht shook his head.

"N-No we don't Mavis." Mavis nodded, before cheering up quickly. "I don't like how i'm the only girl. We need another girl in the guild!" Mavis stated.

"Don't we need to catch a train?" Sabuto remarked. The whole group looked at each other, before speeding away.

A group of five clambered onto the train before walking to their cabin. Zeref felt uneasy on the train, before he flung himself onto the seat. "Are you okay?" Mavis asked. Zeref groaned and turned, before Mavis plopped onto the seat. "Guess not." Several hours passed as day turned into night. The three young men left the cabin and went to find "another cabin" but Mavis knew they wanted to find girls. Zeref was asleep, still upright, with his head at an extremely awkward angle. She felt sorry for him and eased him onto her lap. Zeref remained asleep, or so thought Mavis thought. Zeref was awake, but didn't want Mavis to stop. Mavis was left to her own thoughts, before the dragon slayer turned his head. She yelped, and Zeref got up and sat on the seat opposite.

"S-S-Sorry..." Zeref remarked. "Why aren't you asleep?" He asked. Mavis blushed and looked at her feet.

"Promise you won't say anything." She mumbled. Zeref agreed, before Mavis looked at him. "I forgot my teddy. I can't sleep without him." Zeref covered his mouth to stop himself laughing. Mavis looked away in embarrassment. The young mage composed himself and looked at Mavis, who had her back turned away. Zeref got up to take a look at her face, but couldn't see anything as she faced the wall. Zeref could hear sniffling. He sat on Mavis' seat, before thinking of something to say.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He softly said. Mavis got up and wiped her eyes, before looking at Zeref. He looked back at her, and an awkward silence filled the room, as he was gazing at Mavis. The candlelight from the small candles on the windowsill illuminated her face, and this completely mesmerized Zeref. Mavis broke eye contact. Zeref took off his long sash and tunic, before handing the sash to Mavis. "It's not much, just hold onto it. Acnologia gave it to me." Mavis took the sash and grasped it. It smelt of musky wood, and she snuggled up to it. Zeref threw his tunic onto her, before lying on his seat, drifting to sleep quickly. Mavis smiled, and went to sleep herself.

The pair awoke to a loud banging on the door. "Oi, our stop's coming up!" Precht hollered. Zeref jolted up, and Mavis stared at his body, before he caught her looking.

"My clothes?" He asked. Mavis stammered, before handing back his tunic and sash. She gathered their bags, and walked out the cabin, before disappearing down the corridor, her face a scarlet red. Zeref sauntered outside, before he was met with the rest of the guild staring at him. He gulped, before he hurried down the carriage. The train stopped and Mavis hopped off. Zeref followed suit, before he embarked on his first of many missions with the fairy tail team.

(2 years later)

Mavis was breathing heavily as she sparred against Zeref. She screamed in frustration. "What's wrong?" Zeref asked. Mavis shook her head.

"I have no offensive magic." She grumbled. Zeref looked at his feet.

"Hey, we're a team. I would be dead if it wasn't for your light magic. Anyway, why do you think we're practicing hand-to-hand?"

Mavis dropped her argument, before she smiled at Zeref. "You always know how to calm me down." Zeref grinned, before draping an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go back to the guild Zeref." The petite girl stated. Zeref had only grown a little taller, but Mavis still retained her child-like physique. They arrived at the guild, and walked inside, Zeref's arm still over Mavis' shoulder. They were confronted with complete chaos. Several mages lay waste on each other and the building, before Mavis chuckled. "Bad idea." She stated before walking out. The pair were confronted with Precht, arms folded.

"Are you two a thing yet? The whole guild thinks you are." He stated. Mavis and Zeref stared at each other, before separating quickly. "You're so hopeless at men, Mavis. And Zeref, man up." Precht stated before walking between them into the guild. An awkward silence hung between the two, before Mavis decided to break it.

"Want a job?" She aked. Zeref nodded enthusiastically, as they hadn't gone on a job for ages. "S-class?" She asked again.

"Really? This'll be my first." He stated. Mavis looked unfazed.

"It's fine. We pass this, you're an S-class mage." She tempted him with the prospect of being s-class. Zeref thought long and hard, before he turned to Mavis.

"Okay, you pick our job." He offered. Mavis took a slip of paper from her pocket. She showed him the piece of paper. "Investigate the mountains between Fiore and Seven. Eliminate any Sevennial forces for the army. Reward of 7 million jewels."

"Yup. Sounds easy enough. Shall we get going?" The blonde-haired mage asked. Zeref nodded.

"Let me get my stuff first. Should I get yours as well?" He asked. Mavis nodded.

"I'll be at the train station. See you in a bit."

Zeref unhooked the fence gate surrounding Mavis' house. He took out his lacrima key and unlocked the door. He wandered into his own room, and got his bag, stuffing it with his jacket and winter clothes. He then walked into Mavis' room. Zeref took a deep sniff, and the house still smelt of lavender and lemons. He walked over to Mavis' bed and picked up her bag, before opening her wardrobe and took a woolly overcoat and her white trousers. Zeref took her overnight bag and stuffed the clothes in. As he got up, his eye caught a glimpse of a book placed on top of her bedside table. He sauntered over, and flicked it open. He immediately realized this was her diary, and flicked through the pages. Almost every page mentioned him. Her feelings were literally embodied in the pages, and slowly, he learnt of her feelings towards him. He put the book down, and hurried to the train station.

Mavis sat outside the cafe next to the station, sipping on her tea. The nights were becoming cold, as her breath turned into mist. She checked the time. "Where's Zeref..." Soon, she saw him walking down the street, clearly distinguishable with his black and gold tunic. His sash cut across his body, and swung slightly as he quickly walked towards her, two bags slung on his shoulders. Mavis left her table and approached him. "Took your time. Let me help you." She said as she took her bag from him. Zeref was unusually quiet. "What's up?" She asked. Zeref looked away.

"Nothing..." He mumbled. Mavis frowned and ran ahead, before turning to face Zeref.

"Spit it out." She commanded. He looked away. "I won't stop until you tell me, so just say it."

"I read your diary." He stated. Mavis was shocked, hurt, surprised, but somehow, she felt glad that he did. He finally knew her feelings. The blonde girl slapped Zeref, before handing him his ticket, walking away at a brisk pace. Zeref sighed, as he walked into the station. He saw Mavis staring ahead at nothing, her arms folded. He sat down on a bench as he waited for his train. Time passed painfully slowly as he kept glancing over towards Mavis. She still sat there, her eyes fixed forwards. A train pulled into the platform, and Mavis got up. Zeref followed her into their cabin. The journey on the train would last at least 2 days. It was a spacious cabin, but only had one double bed. A small bathroom was at the end of the cabin, and a small table and seats inbetween the bedroom and bathroom. He set down his bag next to Mavis' bag. He sat on the sofa, staring out into the fields passing by. His mind wandered to Mavis, and he wished that he never opened that book. He never thought of Mavis like she thought of him, but this changed things a lot. 'She's just in that room there.' He thought to himself. He strengthened his resolve and got up, slowly walking to the door. Zeref edged the door open, and saw Mavis sat on the bed, staring out the window. He sat at the foot of the bed. A heavy silence plagued the room.

"I'm not angry you know." She softly stated. Zeref's heart lightened at this. "So i'm guessing you know everything." She said as she turned towards him. He nodded. Mavis sighed. "I never had the courage to tell you, but now you know." She said as she laid back on the bed. Zeref leaned back and laid his head on her stomach.

"I never thought of you that way. How long have you felt like this?" He asked.

"Since we met, on my birthday." She sighed.

"Well, I can always start returning your feelings." He said with a grin. Mavis got up, a smile across her face. "But can I sleep properly, this is really uncomfortable." He stated as his legs dangled over the bed. Mavis shuffled aside and Zeref crawled up the bed. He faced Mavis and hugged her from behind. They had slept together many times, but this was on a whole other level. He arched his head so it was next to hers, and he lightly kissed her shoulder.

"Night, Zeref." Mavis softly said.

"Night, Mavis."


End file.
